Los Angeles Clippers guard Lou Williams has dominated the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year Award lately and has taken home the hardware three times in the last six seasons. However, the perennial frontrunner has taken a back seat this year and might not crack the top five when it’s all said and done. Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson leads this year’s pack of candidates, and the rest of the field has some serious catching up to do.
Clarkson is favored at -400 at DraftKings Sportsbook and leads the NBA in bench points. He’s averaging a career-high 18.2 points off the pine for a Jazz team that’s looked like the best unit in basketball over the past couple of weeks. Only Donovan Mitchell has scored more points than Clarkson among Jazz players. Utah sits atop the Western Conference standings with a 24-6 record and looks like a legitimate contender. It’s hard to see any other bench player catching up to Clarkson while the Jazz are so hot, especially following his 40-point performance against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Toronto Raptors big Chris Boucher (+1400) has seen his minutes waver after coming on strong earlier this year, but there are other longshots worth considering. Terrence Ross (+2000) is picking up steam for the undermanned Orlando Magic. Sacramento Kings rookie Tyrese Haliburton (+3300) is second to LaMelo Ball in the ROY race but has remained one of the more impactful bench players in the league on both sides of the ball.